


Tea With a Bit of Honey

by Legs (InsanityRule)



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 06:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4993789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanityRule/pseuds/Legs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oh no. Richard backpedals a bit to put some distance between himself and Gavin. "Why the fuck are you here?"</p><p>"Presumably the same reason you are. Nelson has a cold."</p><p>Richard and Gavin both show up at Nelson's apartment to help out while he's sick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea With a Bit of Honey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lies_d](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lies_d/gifts).



> I don't know about the title but eh.

Helping out Bighead while he's quote "conjestd and shit" wasn't in his schedule this morning but they haven't hung out in ages and the poor guy's living all alone out there in his fancy apartment, so Richard grabs a messenger bag and fills it with random things they can do today, and drives the Aviato van out to Bighead's complex. As he grabs his bag from the passenger seat and slides out into the parking lot he's formulating a plan of action. He's mumbling about movies and soup and staring at the ground, so he doesn't notice the other person also approaching the door until they bump into one another.

"Sorry," Richard keeps his head down. He's not in the mood to make awkward eye contact with a stranger today.

"Keep your eyes off the fucking... Richard?"

Oh no. Richard backpedals a bit to put some distance between himself and Gavin. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"Presumably the same reason you are. Nelson has a cold."

Nelson. Yuck. Richard pushes past Gavin to ring the buzzer but someone grabs his hand it's Gavin ugh why!? "What?"

"Have some fucking courtesy. He's probably sleeping."

Richard scowls and squares his shoulders, still feeling rather small unfortunately. "What do you expect me to do, climb the fucking building?"

"No, but letting me use my key might work." Richard deflates and watches Gavin pull out a set of keys (With a tortoise key chain.) and, without any trouble, unlock the door to his best friend's apartment building.

"Coming Richard?" He doesn't want to, but Gavin will tell Bighead he was here for sure. He can't let Bighead think he doesn't care or something.

The elevator is not big enough to hold all the awkward tension between them. Richard drums his fingers against the strap of his bag. He glances over at Gavin, and cranes his neck to watch Gavin send a message to 'Nelson', then shuffle back to his side when Gavin glares at him over his shoulder.

"So uh, you have a key."

"Nelson loses his set at least twice a month. He gave me a set after he got his tortoise."

Richard tries to hid his displeasure; he can't help but do that lip thing (Damn Carver.) as he reminds himself that it's okay that he doesn't have a key to Bighead's place. He trudges over to Bighead's door and watches, again, as Gavin unlocks the door with his tortoise keys and lets them both inside.

The main room is much cleaner than the last time Richard came over. Bighead's game systems are all put away and his mountain of blankets is nearly folded and shoved in a fabric bin. No wrappers, no plates; it's almost unrecognizable aside from the giant terrarium against the far wall.

Right. "I'll feed Gummy."

"The geranium is for him too. Nelson is obsessed with this blog about a tortoise and it had some geraniums for a snack." Richard watches Gavin pull out a carton of eggs and a frying pan.

"You know soup is better for a cold. It's only an old wive's tale, but soup is much more mild-"

He stops when Bighead stumbles out into the living room, still in his pajamas, and bumps into his coffee table on the way over to Gavin. It didn't even slow him down a little.

"Hey hi I got your texts," Plural? "I already had cold medicine." Yeah that's kind of obvious. Bighead's always had a strong reaction to medication. "It's so awesome you came," and then Richard tries to gag quietly when Bighead kisses Gavin, "oh crap you're going to get my cold. Oh man..."

"I'll be fine," Gavin, of all people, reassures Bighead. And then they're kissing again and surely Gummy's hungry; Richard should really get some food for the tortoise.

"Woah are you making omelets? That's so great it isn't even Sunday." Richard watches Gavin pour a glass of orange juice and hand it to Bighead, then he whispers something and Bighead smiles.

Richard is not mentally prepared to watch his best friend and Gavin fucking Belson be super domestic and, god he feels disgusting thinking it, kind of cute. He's going to need a shower after this. And he is not getting upset about being ignored. No sir.

He signed up for Mario Kart and canned soup, not Gavin and PDA and omelets that they apparently have every Sunday. Maybe he can still sneak out before Bighead notices and come back later. "Woah Richard you're here too? Dude that's awesome."

Oh great he's trapped. Richard tries curling in behind the terrarium for cover.

"It's good to see you it's been ages." Bighead's voice has a strong lilt today, and a bit higher than normal and kind of punch-drunk. He starts coughing and Richard has to take the glass so it doesn't spill everywhere. Gavin glances up, but Richard waves him off. Bighead's already mostly done coughing. "Gav you got any Ricola or something? My throat hurts."

"Herbal tea with honey," Bighead wobbles over, Richard is halfway through his thought that Bighead hates tea but stops when Bighead makes grabby hands at the mug. He watches Bighead try, and fail, to get up on the counter before settling on standing and drinking what he referred to as 'hot leaf water' not that long ago. Richard awkwardly holds the orange juice glass with as few points of contact as possible to try and avoid the germs even though he knows it's far too late.

He feels very out of place being here; watching Bighead drink tea and talk at Gavin nonsensically while Gavin makes food. He's more than a little uncomfortable. But he isn't about to admit it's because he's feeling left out.

"You should still be in bed."

"You're a bed."

Gavin huffs once and gently shoves Bighead out of the kitchen. Richard tries to hand him the orange juice as he walks past, "um Bighead what about?" but he's already out of the room and, probably, asleep face down on top of his blankets.

"Richard," he shakes his head before Gavin even says anything. "Richard for fuck's sake stop acting like a five year old."

He'd like to think this kind of quiet tantrum is more whiny teenager than five year old but that really isn't that much of a win. Richard sets the orange juice down on the counter and sits at the bar top.

"Are you hungry?"

"What?" Gavin rolls his eyes and Richard grumbles. "I, no. I don't want some weird passive aggressive omelet."

"It's just food stop being a fucking baby."

"My stomach's just kind of," Richard grimaces and kinks his neck to the side.

"Tea can help settle your stomach."

He does not want advice from Gavin. He would rather jump off Bighead's balcony than take advice from Gavin. "It just makes me sick."

Gavin sighs. "I'm fairly certain that's just you. Don't blame the tea for your weaknesses."

Well his anxiety isn't super great right now so Gavin might have a point. Ugh. "Maybe. Or maybe the guy in my best friend's apartment isn't helping."

Gavin doesn't say anything. He turns down the burner on the stove and leans no the bar top and getting way too close for comfort. Richard leans back a bit in response.

"Nelson tells me you think this relationship is out of spite." Richard opens his mouth but Gavin continues. "If you genuinely think Nelson and I are together just because I want to hurt you you're more selfish than I am."

Gavin turns back to the stove and tends to the omelet. Richard's mouth twitches but he can't figure out what he wants to say.

"You realize I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about him."

"Maybe you knew I was going to come over."

Gavin glances over, confused, but quickly returns to his cooking. "Nelson texted me, complaining about a fever, and requesting what he referred to as 'round juice'."

"What?"

"Orange juice. His texts are completely nonsensical in the mornings." He plates two, Richard has to admit, delicious looking omelets. He's pretty certain he's not getting one th... oh. "I indulge on Sundays, it's a Tuesday."

Gavin disappears down the hall towards Bighead's room. Richard resists for a moment but the omelet really does smell delicious. After inspecting for any signs of poison Richard accepts his fate and starts eating. He is so pissed off because this is one of the best omelets he's ever eaten and it was made by Gavin. Damn it he's going to have to thank him when he comes back into the room.

Richard manages to finish his omelet and Gavin hasn't come back. He clears his plate and takes a few minutes to give Gummy his breakfast, which he is already snapping up eagerly before Richard can even set down the kale and geranium flower.

"You know, your dad's kind of an idiot." Gummy ignores him. He's not really sure what he expected.

He finds, in order, an empty plate with a fork at the foot of the bed, Bighead passed out with his head on Gavin's lap, and Gavin awake and sitting up while looking at a tablet. Richard starts to turn around to leave.

"Richard," he turns around, "I take it you're leaving."

"Gummy's fed and, well if you're going to do this," he waves at their general direction, "I should get going. Do some work. Code some... code."

"Sure."

"It's just, well if he was awake I'd stay but he's asleep so-"

"Richard," Gavin sets the tablet aside. "If you're going to stay, fine, if you're leaving, fine. Don't stand in the doorway like an idiot blathering about your reasoning."

That is weirdly good advice. Bighead starts coughing in his sleep, which distracts Gavin, and Richard takes the opportunity to slip out the front door so he can go home and shower.

It's not the Gavin thing, he just really doesn't want to get sick.

He gets a cold anyway.


End file.
